Trailer stabilizer



Mmhls', 1940. -J, K REWSTER 2,194,160

TRAILER STABILIZER Fi1ed sept. 11, 19.59 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR Bymja/mma@ ATTO R N EYS March 19, 1940. A i .'J. BRx-:wsTER v vTRAILERsTABvILIzER Filled sept-'11.1959

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS to be beyond the control of the operator.

" so trafic conditions.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice I TRAILER STABILIzEnl 1 c- John K. Brewster, Flint, Mich. v n l Application September 11,1939, Serial No. 294,384

4 Claims.

My invention relates to trailers ofthe semitrailer type to be pulled bytractors and'other suitable vehicles, and has among its objects andadvantages the provision of an improved stabi- 5 Y lizer.

i`15 kniiing is all the more frequent when operating on highways coveredwith snow and ice, although jackkning occurs even on dry highways.Traveling at an excessive speed causes whipping of the trailer, which attimes develops in such degree as Frequently, the "operator applies thebrakes too fast, or the brakes grab, which tends to acceleratejackkniflng of the trailer.

An object of my invention is to provide a stabilizer for a trailer ofthe type described, wherein novel means are provided to connect thetrailer with the tractor at the will ofthe operator so as to completelyeliminate jackkning of the trailer under all conditions of highways andThe stabilizer is in the nature of a power operated beam slidablyassociated with the trailer and adapted to be extended into acorrespondingly shaped housing on the tractor, with the telescopicrelation between the beam and the housing such as to hold the trailer inline within av predetermined degree, but in which the beam and thehousing are so devised as to embody the necessary element of flexibilityso that the trailer l and the vehicle may negotiate the average curve iin addition to flexibly coupling the two units so as to facilitate entryof the beam.

In the accompanying drawings: l Figure l is a top plan View of a portionof a tractor and a semi-trailer connected therewith,

i with portions of the trailer broken away for the sake of clearness;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially along the liner-2 ofFigure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 3 3 of Figure 2 I0includes a frame structure I4 provided with a bearing plate lli providedwith a pin i3 which may be inserted through an opening in the bearingplate 2l! mounted to the forward ends of the frame members 22 of thetrailer. Pin lil is providedy 5 with a key 2t which holds the plate 20in assembled relation with the plate I6. Trailer I2 includes the usualsupporting wheels 2S and springs 28 which carry the frame members 22.The Structure so far described is entirely conventionalfl and well knownin the art.

To the frame members 22 of the trailer I bolt a cross member 30, as at3ft in Fig. 3. Cross member 3B supports the stabilizing beam 34 throughthe medium of a housing 36, with the beam slid-i115 able in the housingand the latter pivotally suspended from the cross member 30.

Referring to Fig. 3, a frame 38 is welded at lli! to the housing 36, andthe frame is anged at 42 for bolted connection with a ange M of apivot20 `housing 46 swingably connected with a head 48 on oneend of abolt 50 threaded through the member 30 and secured against accidentalturning by a look nut 52. A bearing element 54 is positioned in thepivot housing 46 and is conf` toured to fit snugly about a limited areaof the head 48, with the housing similarly formed near its upper end sothat the head i3 rmay be rotated relatively to the housing within alimited degree.

Upon the housing 35 I ilxedly secure a cylinder;` 5S within which apiston 58 is slidably contained and connected with a piston rod 6Bextending through the closure 62 in one end of the cylinder.` Theopposite end of the cylinder is also closed, as at 64. The outer end ofthe piston rod 6) is con-1 35 nected at 86 with a coupling member 68riding in a slot 10 in the housing 36. Coupling member 68 is Providedwith a pin l2 anchored in an opening in the beam 34., Beam 34 isadvanced and retracted through actuation of the piston 58, with,` 40Fig. 2 illustrating the normal position of the beam, at which time itstapered end 'lli lies closely ladjacent the forward end of the housing35.

To the frame member I l of the tractor IS I connect a cross member 'i6which corresponds to 45 the cross member 3l). A bolt '18 is connected tothe crossy member 16 and is provided with a head B0 rotatably associatedwith a housing 82 bolted to a housing @Ll aligned with the beam M. Bolt'I8 and its head 86 together with the housing 32. 50 are identical withthe corresponding parts illustrated in Fig. 3 'so that the housings 36and 8d are mounted in the same manner with respect to their respectivecross members 3Q and lt. Plates 8G are connected with the frame membersM and 55 depend therefrom for supporting rods 238 upon which I mountsprings 9U bearing against the upper and lower faces of the housing 84for yieldingly supporting thehousing in the normal position of Fig. 2.Springs 90 include eyes 92 at no their forward ends for the reception ofthe rods 88, and the plates 86 carry rods 94 which hold the springsunder a predetermined degree of flexure with respect to the housing 84,the springs being suiiciently stiff to support the housing in its normalposition. Referring to Fig. 4, the upper springs 90 are interconnectedthrough the medium of a bar 9G which lies against the upper face of thehousing 84, and a bar 98 interconnects the lower springs 98, whichlatter bar bears against the lower face of the housing 84. Thus, thehousing 84 may pivot about the axis of the bolt 1B without impairing thespring tension eiective thereon, but the pivotal movement of the housingis limited by reason of stop members I Si) which may be bolted to theframe members ld.

Housing 315 is flared at iGZ to facilitate entry of the beam 34, and thetapered end 'Hl further facilitates entry. Springs 9B yieldingly supportthe housing fill so that it may yield within limited degrees to provideaccommodation for the beam 34 in the event that the road conditions aresuch as to position the beam slightly out of alignment with the housing84 during coupling of the trailer with the tractor. The slot 'lil in thehousing 36 is of sufficient length to accommodate the necessaryprojection of the beam 34, and the beam is projected substantially halfits length inside the housing 84, with the latter provided with aclosure lil/3 in its forward end. With the beam 35 projected forwardlyits maximum distance, substantially half its length remains in thehousing 36 so that the two housings are so telescopically related to thebeam as to provide a durable joint.

Housing may pivot within a limited range about the axis of the bolt 50,but the free pivotal movement is limited by reason of stop members ill@bolted to the frame structure of the trailer. Stop members i0@ arearranged in the path of the housing 36 to engage the latter after alimited pivotal movement in either direction. Thus, the tractor and itsassociated trailer may negotiate average curves in the highway, but thetwo units will be so connected upon projection ol the beam 3d tocompletely prevent jackknifmg of the trailer.

Cylinder 55 is provided with. two conduits i and l lll communicatingwith the two ends of the cylinder for the admission of a pressure fluid.'hich may comprise compressed air supplied by the an` compressionfacilities of the tractor. The admission of air vto one or the other endof the cylinder 55 is controlled through the medium of a valve H2adapted to be manipulated by the driver of the tractor for advancing orretracting the beam EG. conduitsl ISB and HG may comprise flexible .hoseand the valve H2 may be connected with the air storage chamber throughthe medium of a conduit H4. It will thus be seen that the movement ofthe piston 58 may be controlled by the valve H2, and the direction oftravel will depend upon which conduit is opened for the admission ofcompressed air. Obviously, the piston may be actuated through the mediumof fluid under pressure in lieu of compressed air.

To the stop members H16 I connect brackets lili which support rods HSconnected with springs E26 respectively of the same type as illustratedat S8 and 96, with the springs E2G held under flexure by rods 222carried by the brackets H6, Cross bars |24 are associated with thesprings 20 so as to maintain spring tension in all lateral positions ofthe housing 36, with the housing yieldable vertically in the same manneras the housing 84 to facilitate coupling of the beam 3d with the housing34.

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention in detail, itis, of course, understood that I do not desire to limit the scopethereof to the exact details set forth except in so far as those detailsmay be defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a tractor having a trailer connected therewith forpivotal movement about a vertical axis, a housing carried by saidtractor, a second housing carried by said trailer, a beam slidable insaid second housing and adapted to be projected into said iirst housingto limit the pivotal action of the trailer, means for advancing the beaminto connected relation with said first housing and for retracting thebeam to its normal position with respect to said second housing, saidrst housing being pivotally connected with said tractor, and resilientmeans for biasing said rst housing to its normal position.

2. The combination of a tractor havingT a trailer connected therewithfor pivotal movement about a vertical axis, a housing carried by saidtractor, a second housing carried by said trailer, a beam slidable insaid second housing and adapted to be projected into said housing tolimit the pivotal action of the trailer, means for advancing the beaminto connected relation with said rst housing and for retracting thebeam to its normal position with respect to said second housing, and apivotal connection between said second housing and the trailer.

3. The combination of a tractor having a trailer connected therewith forpivotal movement about a vertical axis, a housing carried by saidtractor, a second housing carried by said trailer, a beam slidable insaid second housing and adapted to be projected into said rst housing tolimit the pivotal action of the trailer, means for advancing the beaminto connected relation with said iirst housing and for retracting thebeam to its normal position with respect to said second housing, apivotal connection between said second housing and the trailer, andresilient means for biasing the second housing to its normal position,

4. The combination of a tractor and a trailer connected with the tractorfor pivotal movement about a vertical axis, a rst tubular member carriedby said tractor, a universal connection between the iirst tubular memberand said tractor, resilient means for biasing the iirst tubular memberto its normal position, including means for limiting the pivotal actionthereof in a horizontal plane, a second tubular member carried by saidtrailer, a universal connection between said second tubular member andthe trailer, means for biasing the second tubular member to a normalposition, including means for limiting the pivotal action of the secondtubular member .in a horizontal plane, a beam slidable in said secondtubular member and adapted to be projected into said iirst tubularmember for coaction with the rst and secon-d tubular members to restrainthe trailer from pivotal movement beyond a predetermined. degree, andmanually controlled means for actuating said beam.

JOHN K. BREWSTER.

